Theodor Eicke
October 17, 1892 - February 26, 1943
Nickname	Papa
Place of birth	Hudingen, Lorraine
Place of death	near Orelka, Soviet Union
Allegiance	Waffen-SS
Years of service	1909-1945
Rank	Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS
Commands	3rd. SS-Division Totenkopf
Awards	Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kreuz mit Eichenlaub

Theodor Eicke (October 17, 1892 - February 26, 1943) was a Nazi official, SS-Obergruppenführer, commander of the SS-Division (mot) Totenkopf of the Waffen-SS and one of the key figures in the establishment of concentration camps in Nazi Germany. His Nazi Party number was 114901 and his SS number was 2921. He is most remembered for personally executing SA Chief Ernst Röhm following the Night of the Long Knives. October 17 is the 290th day of the year (291st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1892 (MDCCCXCII) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 394 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (416 × 632 pixel, file size: 39 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 394 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (416 × 632 pixel, file size: 39 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Lorraine coat of arms location of the Lorraine province Lorraine (French: Lorraine; German: Lothringen) is a historical area in present-day northeast France. ... Oryol or Orel (Russian: ) is a city in Russia, administrative center of Oryol Oblast. ... Waffen-SS recruitment poster; Volunteer to the Waffen-SS The Waffen-SS was the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel. ... SS-Obergruppenführer Erich von dem Bach-Zalewski SS-Obergruppenführer patch SA-Obergruppenführer insignia Obergruppenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was first created in 1932 as a rank of the SA. Translated as Senior Group Leader, the rank of SA-Obergruppenführer was held by... SS-Division Totenkopf Kampfgruppe Eicke 3. ... A stylized version of the Iron Cross, the emblem of the Bundeswehr, Germanys Armed Forces. ... October 17 is the 290th day of the year (291st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1892 (MDCCCXCII) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... National Socialism redirects here. ... SS-Obergruppenführer Erich von dem Bach-Zalewski SS-Obergruppenführer patch SA-Obergruppenführer insignia Obergruppenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was first created in 1932 as a rank of the SA. Translated as Senior Group Leader, the rank of SA-Obergruppenführer was held by... SS-Division Totenkopf Kampfgruppe Eicke 3. ... Waffen-SS recruitment poster; Volunteer to the Waffen-SS The Waffen-SS was the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel. ... It has been suggested that Internment be merged into this article or section. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... The Nazi Party (German: , or NSDAP, English: National Socialist German Workers Party), was a far-right, racist political party in Germany between 1920 and 1945. ... The   (German for Protective Squadron), abbreviated (Runic) or SS (Latin), was a large security and military organization of the National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi Party) in Germany. ... Ernst Julius Röhm, also known as Ernst Roehm in English (November 28, 1887 - July 2, 1934) was a German military officer, and the commander and co-founder of the Nazi Sturmabteilung, or storm troopers — the SA. // Röhm was one of three children of Julius Röhm and his... This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. ...

Early Life - World War I

Eicke was born in Hampont, near Château-Salins (then in German Lorraine) on October 17, 1892 as the son of a station master. Youngest of 11 children, he dropped out of school at the age of 17. He voluntarily joined the 23rd Bavarian Infantry Regiment; later on, in World War I, he took the office of paymaster for the 3rd - and, from 1916 on, the 22nd Bavarian Infantry Regiment. Lorraine coat of arms location of the Lorraine province Lorraine (French: Lorraine; German: Lothringen) is a historical area in present-day northeast France. ... October 17 is the 290th day of the year (291st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1892 (MDCCCXCII) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... The Paymaster of the Forces was a British government position. ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ...

Having won an Iron Cross during World War I, Eicke nevertheless did not have any prospect to find work after the end of the war; he began studying in his wife's hometown Ilmenau, but dropped out of school again in 1920 intending to pursue a police career, initially as an informer and later on as a regular policeman. A stylized version of the Iron Cross, the emblem of the Bundeswehr, Germanys Armed Forces. ... Ilmenau is a town located in the district of Ilm-Kreis, Thuringia, Germany. ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ...

After failing, due to not only his lack of a school degree, but also his fervent hatred for the Weimar Republic and his repeated participation in violent political demonstrations which was not allowed to police officials, he finally managed to find work in 1923 at the IG Farben in Ludwigshafen, soon rising to the rank of the leader of the company's internal intelligence service. Anthem Das Lied der Deutschen Germany during the Weimar period, with the Free State of Prussia (in blue) as the largest state Capital Berlin Language(s) German Government Republic President  - 1918-1925 Friedrich Ebert  - 1925-1933 Paul von Hindenburg Chancellor  - 1919 Philipp Scheidemann(first)  - 1933 Adolf Hitler (last) Legislature Reichstag... Year 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... IG Farben (short for Interessen-Gemeinschaft Farbenindustrie AG) was a German conglomerate of companies formed in 1925 and even earlier during World War I. IG Farben held nearly a total monopoly on the chemical production, later during the time of Nazi Germany. ... Map of Germany showing Ludwigshafen am Rhein Ludwigshafen am Rhein is a city in Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, with about 166,000 inhabitants. ...

Rise of the Nazi Party

Staying politically active, Eicke joined the NSDAP and SA on December 1, 1928, and also became a member of Ernst Röhm's SA, which he left again in August 1930 in favour of the SS, where he quickly rose in rank after recruiting new members and building up the SS organization in the Bavarian palatinate, having been promoted to SS-Standartenführer (roughly equivalent to Colonel) by Heinrich Himmler by the end of 1931. The Nazi swastika The National Socialist German Workers Party (German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei), better known as the NSDAP or the Nazi Party was a political party that was led to power in Germany by Adolf Hitler in 1933. ... The seal of SA SA propaganda poster. ... December 1 is the 335th (in leap years the 336th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar). ... Ernst Julius Röhm, also known as Ernst Roehm in English (November 28, 1887 - July 2, 1934) was a German military officer, and the commander and co-founder of the Nazi Sturmabteilung, or storm troopers — the SA. // Röhm was one of three children of Julius Röhm and his... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... SS or ss or Ss may be: The Schutzstaffel, a Nazi paramilitary force Steamship (SS) (ship prefix) The United States Secret Service A submarine not powered by nuclear energy (SS) (United States Navy designator), see SSN A Soviet/Russian surface-to-surface missile, as listed by NATO reporting name Shortstop... For other uses, see Bavaria (disambiguation). ... SS-Standartenführer insignia Standartenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was used in both the SA and the SS. First created as a title in 1925, in 1928 the rank became one of the first commissioned Nazi ranks and was bestowed upon those SA and SS officers... This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. ... Heinrich Luitpold Himmler ( ; October 7, 1900 – May 23, 1945) was the commander of the Schutzstaffel (SS) and one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany by being second in power to Adolf Hitler in the Nazi hierarchy. ... Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

His political activities also caught the attention of his employer, though, and in early 1932, he was laid off by the IG Farben. At the same time, he was caught preparing bomb attacks on political enemies in Bavaria, which he received a two year prison sentence for in July 1932. However, due to protection received from Franz Gürtner, who would later become minister of justice under Adolf Hitler, he was able to escape the sentence and instead fled to Italy on an order from Heinrich Himmler, where he overtook responsibility for a camp for exiled SS members. Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1932 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... IG Farben (short for Interessen-Gemeinschaft Farbenindustrie AG) was a German conglomerate of companies formed in 1925 and even earlier during World War I. IG Farben held nearly a total monopoly on the chemical production, later during the time of Nazi Germany. ... For other uses, see Bavaria (disambiguation). ... Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1932 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Franz Gürtner (August 26, 1881 - January 29, 1941) was a German Minister of Justice in Adolf Hitlers cabinet, responsible for coordinating jurisprudence in the Third Reich. ... Hitler redirects here. ... Heinrich Luitpold Himmler ( ; October 7, 1900 – May 23, 1945) was the commander of the Schutzstaffel (SS) and one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany by being second in power to Adolf Hitler in the Nazi hierarchy. ... SS or ss or Ss may be: The Schutzstaffel, a Nazi paramilitary force Steamship (SS) (ship prefix) The United States Secret Service A submarine not powered by nuclear energy (SS) (United States Navy designator), see SSN A Soviet/Russian surface-to-surface missile, as listed by NATO reporting name Shortstop...

SS and Concentration Camps

Eicke then returned to Germany in March 1933 following Hitler's rise to power; after political quarrels with Gauleiter Joseph Bürckel and spending several months in a mental asylum, he was remembered by Himmler in June 1933 and made commander of the Dachau concentration camp on June 28 after complaints and criminal proceedings against former commander SS-Sturmbannführer Hilmar Wäckerle following the murder of several detainees. 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... Hitler redirects here. ... A Gauleiter was the party leader of a regional branch of the NSDAP (more commonly known as the Nazi Party) or the head of a Gau or of a Reichsgau. ... Joseph Bürckel (March 30, 1895, Lingenfeld, Germersheim—September 28, 1944, Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Rhineland-Palatinate) was a German National Socialist politician, a member of the National Socialist Reichstag. ... Heinrich Luitpold Himmler ( ; October 7, 1900 – May 23, 1945) was the commander of the Schutzstaffel (SS) and one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany by being second in power to Adolf Hitler in the Nazi hierarchy. ... 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... The main entrance just after the liberation Memorial at the camp, 1997. ... is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Promoted on January 30, 1934 to SS-Brigadeführer (equivalent to Major-general), Eicke took command of Dachau and immediately began reforms, establishing new guarding provisions, which included blind obedience to orders, and tightening disciplinary and punishment regulations for detainees, which were adopted by all concentration camps of the Third Reich during the following years. January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Brigadeführer was an SS rank that was used in Nazi Germany between the years of 1932 and 1945. ... Major General or Major-General is a military rank used in many countries. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ...

Eicke's radical anti-semitism and anti-bolshevism as well as his insistence on blind and unconditional obedience towards him as the camp's commander as well as the SS and Adolf Hitler made an impression on Himmler. And in May 1934, he was appointed "inspector of concentration camps", a position which he began working in on July 4, 1934. Although technically responsible to the SS-Hauptamt, Eicke in fact reported directly to Heinrich Himmler. The Eternal Jew: 1937 German poster. ... Bolshevik Party Meeting. ... SS or ss or Ss may be: The Schutzstaffel, a Nazi paramilitary force Steamship (SS) (ship prefix) The United States Secret Service A submarine not powered by nuclear energy (SS) (United States Navy designator), see SSN A Soviet/Russian surface-to-surface missile, as listed by NATO reporting name Shortstop... Hitler redirects here. ... Heinrich Luitpold Himmler ( ; October 7, 1900 – May 23, 1945) was the commander of the Schutzstaffel (SS) and one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany by being second in power to Adolf Hitler in the Nazi hierarchy. ... Year 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Heinrich Luitpold Himmler ( ; October 7, 1900 – May 23, 1945) was the commander of the Schutzstaffel (SS) and one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany by being second in power to Adolf Hitler in the Nazi hierarchy. ...

Theodor Eicke as an SS-Obergruppenführer, Autumn 1942.

Eicke also was involved in the Night of the Long Knives in summer 1934; together with hand-chosen members of the Dachau concentration camp guards, he helped out Sepp Dietrich's SS-Leibstandarte Adolf Hitlers to imprison SA commanders on June 30, and to show his obedience to Himmler and Hitler, he murdered Ernst Röhm together with his adjutant Michel Lippert on July 1, 1934, for which he was promoted again to SS-Gruppenführer. He is also alleged to have had a personel role in the killing of Erich Mühsam. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. ... Year 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The main entrance just after the liberation Memorial at the camp, 1997. ... SS-Obergruppenführer Sepp Dietrich Josef Sepp Dietrich also known as Ujac (May 28, 1892–April 21/22, 1966) was a German Waffen-SS general, an SS-Oberstgruppenführer, and one of the closest men to Hitler. ... June 30 is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Heinrich Luitpold Himmler ( ; October 7, 1900 – May 23, 1945) was the commander of the Schutzstaffel (SS) and one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany by being second in power to Adolf Hitler in the Nazi hierarchy. ... Hitler redirects here. ... Ernst Julius Röhm, also known as Ernst Roehm in English (November 28, 1887 - July 2, 1934) was a German military officer, and the commander and co-founder of the Nazi Sturmabteilung, or storm troopers — the SA. // Röhm was one of three children of Julius Röhm and his... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... SS-Gruppenführer collar patch SA-Gruppenführer rank insignia Volkssturm Gruppenführer insignia Gruppenführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party, first created in 1925 as a senior rank of the SA. Translated as “Group Leader”, a Gruppenführer was typically in charge of large numbers... Erich Mühsam (1878-1934) Erich Mühsam (6 April 1878 in Berlin, Germany – 10 July 1934 Oranienburg Concentration Camp) (also spelled Muehsam or Muhsam) was an German-Jewish anarchist, writer, poet, dramatist and cabaret performer. ...

In his role as the "inspector of concentration camps", Eicke began a large reorganisation of the camps until 1939; this consisted of the dismantling of the smaller camps until August 1937 when only the Dachau concentration camp, Sachsenhausen, Buchenwald and Ravensbrück (near Lichtenburg) remained as well as the building of new camps in Austria (e.g. Mauthausen in 1938) and the reformation of the camps' administrations to follow the Dachau concentration camp model. Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... The main entrance just after the liberation Memorial at the camp, 1997. ... Entry to the camp Sachsenhausen was a concentration camp in Germany, operating between 1936 and 1950. ... Slave laborers in the Buchenwald concentration camp (Elie Wiesel is second row, seventh from left). ... View of the barracks at Ravensbrück Ravensbrück was a German concentration camp located 90 km north of Berlin. ... Lichtenburg is a town situated in North West Province of South Africa. ... Mauthausen is a small town in Upper Austria about 20 kilometers east of the city of Linz. ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... The main entrance just after the liberation Memorial at the camp, 1997. ...

Eicke's reorganizations and the introduction of forced labour made the camps one of the SS's most powerful tools; this earned him the enmity of (among others) Reinhard Heydrich, who had already unsuccessfully attempted to take control of the Dachau concentration camp in his position as commander of the Bavarian political police. Eicke, with support from Himmler, prevailed, though, asserting that the command structure he had introduced would not only stay until 1945, but also not be responsible to the Gestapo and SD when the office of the inspector of concentration camps was turned into the Amt D of the Wirtschafts- und Verwaltungshauptamt under Oswald Pohl in 1940. SS or ss or Ss may be: The Schutzstaffel, a Nazi paramilitary force Steamship (SS) (ship prefix) The United States Secret Service A submarine not powered by nuclear energy (SS) (United States Navy designator), see SSN A Soviet/Russian surface-to-surface missile, as listed by NATO reporting name Shortstop... Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich (7 March 1904 – 4 June 1942) was an SS-Obergruppenführer, chief of the Reich Security Main Office (including the Gestapo, SD and Kripo Nazi police agencies) and Reich governor of Bohemia and Moravia. ... The main entrance just after the liberation Memorial at the camp, 1997. ... For other uses, see Bavaria (disambiguation). ... Heinrich Luitpold Himmler ( ; October 7, 1900 – May 23, 1945) was the commander of the Schutzstaffel (SS) and one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany by being second in power to Adolf Hitler in the Nazi hierarchy. ... Year 1945and died 2007 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... This article or section includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Sicherheitsdienst (SD) sleeve insignia. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

It was this and other things that earned Eicke a fearsome reputation even within the SS; he was described as brutal and evil, distrustful, cruel and plagued by his exuberant ambitions, full of hatred for everyone who did not agree with the Nazi ideology. National Socialism redirects here. ...

Eicke's attitude of "inflexible harshness" also influenced the guards in the concentration camps; constant indoctrination removed any compassion for the detainees from the guards and created an atmosphere of controlled, disciplined cruelty that lived on even when Eicke was not involved with the concentration camps anymore. Among those who were influenced by Eicke this way were Rudolf Höß, Franz Ziereis, Karl Otto Koch and Max Kögel. Rudolf Franz Ferdinand Höß (in English commonly Hoess or Höss; November 25, 1900; April 16, 1947) was an SS-Obersturmbannführer (Lt. ... Franz Ziereis was the commandant of the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp at the time it was liberated. ... Karl Otto Koch Karl Otto Koch (August 2, 1897 – April 5, 1945), a colonel in the German Schutzstaffel (SS), was the first commandant of the Nazi concentration camp at Buchenwald (from 1937 to 1941), and later at Lublin (Majdanek camp). ... Otto Max Koegel (16 October 1895-26 June 1946) was a German concentration camp officer during World War II. He was camp commandant of the Majdanek concentration camp and Flossenbürg concentration camp. ...

Totenkopf Division

The success of the Totenkopf's sister formations the SS-Infanterie-Regiment (mot) Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler and the three Standarten of the SS-Verfügungstruppe led to Hitler approving Himmler's recommendation for the creation of three Waffen SS-divisions in October 1939. The Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (Lifeguard Standarte of the SS Adolf Hitler) was a Waffen SS guard and combat formation which saw action on both the Eastern and Western fronts during the Second World War. ... SS-Division Verfügungstruppe SS-Division Deutschland SS-Division Reich SS-Division Das Reich 2. ... Hitler redirects here. ... Heinrich Luitpold Himmler ( ; October 7, 1900 – May 23, 1945) was the commander of the Schutzstaffel (SS) and one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany by being second in power to Adolf Hitler in the Nazi hierarchy. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Eicke's Totenkopf units were to form SS-Division Totenkopf and Eicke was given command. SS-Division Totenkopf Kampfgruppe Eicke 3. ...

Eicke's career now deviated from Concentration Camps and he was not involved with the camp service after 1940. His replacement as Inspector of Concentration Camps was Richard Glücks who answered to Oswald Pohl in the SS Office of Economics and Administration. Richard Glücks (April 22, 1889 – May 10, 1945) was a high-ranking Nazi official. ...

During the course of the war, Eicke and his division distinguished themselves by an unmatched brutality and several war crimes, including the murder of British POWs in Le Paradis in 1940, the murder of Soviet officers and the plundering and pillaging of several Soviet villages. In the context of war, a war crime is a punishable offense under International Law, for violations of the laws of war by any person or persons, military or civilian. ... Geneva Convention definition A prisoner of war (POW) is a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. ... Le Paradis massacre occurred during the Battle of France in 1940, members of the Royal Norfolk Regiment were victims of a German SS war crime at Le Paradis in the Pas-de-Calais on May 26. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Soviet redirects here. ...

The Totenkopf continued to show an unmatched fanaticism and ferocity, during the advance in 1941 as well as the summer offensive in 1942, the conquest of Kharkov, the so-called Demyansk Pocket, and the defending of Warsaw and Budapest in early 1945. For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... Kharkov (rus: Ха́рьков) or Kharkiv (ukr: Ха́рків) is the second largest city in Ukraine, a center of Kharkivska oblast. It is situated in the northeast of the country and has a population of two million. ... Demyansk Pocket (German: die Demjansker Operation, Russian: ) is a name of encirclement of German troops by Red Army near Demyansk (Demjansk), south of Leningrad, during the Second World War, which lasted mainly from February 8 until April 21, 1942. ... Motto: Contemnit procellas (It defies the storms) Semper invicta (Always invincible) Coordinates: Country Poland Voivodeship Masovia Powiat city county Gmina Warszawa Districts 18 boroughs City Rights turn of the 13th century Government  - Mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz (PO) Area  - City 516. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Year 1945and died 2007 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ...

Theodor Eicke himself was killed on February 26, 1943, shortly after being promoted to SS-Obergruppenführer (equivalent to full general). While performing a battlefield reconnaissance during the opening stages of the Third Battle of Kharkov, his Fieseler Fi 156 Storch was shot down by Soviet troops near Oryol. His division launched a ferocious attack to secure the crash site and recover their commander's body. Eicke was portrayed in the Axis press as a hero, and soon after his death one of the Totenkopf's Infantry regiments received the honorific cuff-title Theodor Eicke. is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Combatants Soviet Union Axis powers Commanders Filipp Golikov Nikolay Vatutin Erich von Manstein †Theodor Eicke Strength 300,000 men 160,000 men Casualties Voronezh Front: army of Popov: 3,000 KIA, 11,000 WIA, Southwestern Front: 20,000 KIA, 90,000 WIA, 9,000 POWs, finally battles: 25,000 KIA... The Fieseler Fi 156 Storch (stork) was a small liaison aircraft built by Fieseler before and during World War II, and production continued in other countries into the 1950s for the private market. ... For other organizations known as the Red Army, see Red Army (disambiguation). ... Oryol or Orel (Russian: ) is a city in Russia, administrative center of Oryol Oblast. ...

Personal life

Eicke married Bertha Schwebel on December 26, 1914. They had two children, Irma born on April 5, 1916 and Hermann, born on May 4, 1920. Hermann Eicke was killed in action on December 2, 1941.

Summary of his military career

Dates of rank

• SS-Mann: July 29, 1930
• SS-Truppführer: August, 1930
• SS-Sturmführer: November 11, 1930
• SS-Sturmbannführer: January 30, 1931
• SS-Standartenführer: November 11, 1931
• SS-Oberführer: October 26, 1932
• SS-Brigadeführer: January 30, 1934
• SS-Gruppenführer: July 11, 1934 und Generaleutnant der Waffen-SS: September, 1941
• SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS: April 20, 1942

Mann, which is a German word meaning person or man, was also a paramilitary rank used by several Nazi Party paramilitary organizations between 1925 and 1945. ... SA-Truppführer insignia Truppführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was first created in 1930 as a rank of the Sturmabteilung (SA), or Nazi Stormtroopers. ... Standard Sturmführer Collar Patch Sturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party which began as a title used by the Sturmabteilung in 1925 and became an actual SA rank in 1928. ... Sturmbannführer Collar Patch Sturmbannführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party which was used by both the Sturmabteilung (SA) and the Schutzstaffel (SS). ... SS-Standartenführer insignia Standartenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was used in both the SA and the SS. First created as a title in 1925, in 1928 the rank became one of the first commissioned Nazi ranks and was bestowed upon those SA and SS officers... SS-Oberführer Collar Patch SA-Oberführer Collar Patch Oberführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party dating back to 1921. ... Brigadeführer was an SS rank that was used in Nazi Germany between the years of 1932 and 1945. ... SS-Gruppenführer collar patch SA-Gruppenführer rank insignia Volkssturm Gruppenführer insignia Gruppenführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party, first created in 1925 as a senior rank of the SA. Translated as “Group Leader”, a Gruppenführer was typically in charge of large numbers... SS-Obergruppenführer Erich von dem Bach-Zalewski SS-Obergruppenführer patch SA-Obergruppenführer insignia Obergruppenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was first created in 1932 as a rank of the SA. Translated as Senior Group Leader, the rank of SA-Obergruppenführer was held by...

Notable decorations

• Eastern Front Medal (1942)
• Iron Cross Second and First (1940) Classes
• Clasp to the Iron Cross Second Class (1940)
• SS-Honour Ring
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (1941)
• Oak Leaves (1942)
• Wound Badge in Silver
• Cross of Honor (1934)
• Golden Party Badge (1940)
• Bavarian Military Merit Cross 2nd Class (?)^[1]
• Braunschweig War Merit Cross Second Class

The Eastern Front Medal, Winterschlacht Im Osten, more commonly known as the Ostmedaille was instituted on 26. ... A stylized version of the Iron Cross, the emblem of the Bundeswehr, Germanys Armed Forces. ... A stylized version of the Iron Cross, the emblem of the Bundeswehr, Germanys Armed Forces. ... The Totenkopfring (English Deaths head ring), officially the SS-Ehrenring (Honour Ring), was an award of Heinrich Himmlers Schutzstaffel (SS). ... The penultimate expression of the award: the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross with golden Oakleaves, Swords and Diamonds. ... The penultimate expression of the award: the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross with golden Oakleaves, Swords and Diamonds. ... A black version of the Badge A silver version A gold version Wound Badge (Das Verwundetenabzeichen) is a German military award for wounded or frost-bitten soldiers of Wehrmacht, SS and the auxiliary service organisations (after March 1943 due to the increasing number of allied bombings — also for civilians). ... Cross of Honor with swords The Cross of Honor, also known as the Honor Cross or, popularly, the Hindenburg Cross, was a comemorative medal inaugurated on July 13, 1934 by Reichspräsident Paul von Hindenburg for those soldiers of Imperial Germany who fought in World War I. It came in... NSDAP Golden Party Badge The Golden Party Badge was a special badge of the Nazi Party. ... The Bavarian Military Merit Cross (Militär-Verdienstkreuz) was that kingdoms main decoration for bravery and military merit for enlisted soldiers. ...

References

• Andrew, Mollo. A Pictorial History of the SS, 1923-1945. ISBN 0-8128-2174-2. 
• Yerger, Mark C.. Allgemeine-SS. ISBN 0-7643-0145-4. 
• Lumsden, Robin. The Allgemeine-SS, Vol. 266. 
• Sydnor, Jr., Charles W.. Soldiers of Destruction.